BJP sings Jeetega Gujarat

Jeetega Gujarat is the BJP’s reply to Chak De Congress. The saffron party has chosen this slogan for their campaign with Narendra Modi as its icon.

Initially, an impromptu theme for a function to be addressed by the Gujarat chief minister in Mumbai, Jeetega Gujarat will feature in hundreds of video CDs prepared by the party with the approval of the Election Commission. In a bid to show that Modi is honest and untainted, a campaign under Na main khata hoon na khane dunga (Neither do I take bribe nor will allow anyone) will also be released.

The Congress had already adapted the title of the recent Shahrukh Khan hit for their campaign. Whether the issue is ideology, leadership or performance, the BJP's campaign on the basis of the slogan will attempt to show that Modi, the party and the state are closely identified with development, determination to fight terrorism and all-inclusive growth.

Campaign managers who are working under BJP general-secretary Arun Jaitely, the Gujarat in-charge, sifted through several recorded speeches of Modi to prepare the CDs. “Our critics have sought to run down Modi, the BJP and Gujarat all these years. Our answer is Jeetaga Gujarat,” Jaitley said, adding that the BJP did not think the Congress slogan would click. “You can market a campaign that is natural to you.”

The CDs bearing the slogan and the party symbol are getting ready for distribution as television advertisements since the EC has said no to posters and banners. Besides local channels, the party plans to show the CDs on Internet TV – Vandhe Gujarat – that has four lakh subscribers across the state.

Depending on the response to Jeetaga Gujarat, the BJP is gearing for a change in case the Congress goes aggressively against Modi on the issue of the post-Godhra riots.

For Himachal Pradesh, the BJP is focusing on corruption charges against Congress Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife and other ministers.

Ghamandi raja, bhrashta rani, rangeela mantri, yehi hai kahani (The king is arrogant, the queen corrupt, the ministers colourful and this is the story of Himachal Pradesh under Congress rule) will be the party’s slogan. Price rise will figure as a major plank in the elections on December 19. Asked if the epithet “arrogant king” could be applied to Modi by his critics, Jaitely said: “The people of Gujarat will decide soon. No chief minister has managed as much direct contact with the people as Modi has.”